Month: July 2017
Credit: United Renewable Energy (PRNewsfoto/United Renewable Energy)
Construction of the Phipps Bend Nuclear Power plant kicked off in 1978. Tucked in a bend of the Holston River near Surgoinsville, Tennessee, the project was expected to revitalize the area’s economy. The electricity it generated would reach the entire coverage area of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Just a few years into the project, energy demand and prices were falling. The partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island triggered increased citizen concerns along with increased costs to meet new regulatory requirements. The TVA Board of Directors ceased construction in 1981. The plant was never operational.
While an industrial park was developed nearby in the late 1980s, the plant was only used for safety training exercises – until now.